Company
by simply-aly
Summary: Scott calls Seth when somethings wrong with Kate after they get her back from Amaru. (A fic to bridge the ending to the epilogue.)


It's Scott who calls him, and for reasons Seth has decided not to investigate too thoroughly, he comes running. He travels through three states—while still a wanted criminal—and even abandons the con he'd been setting up without even explaining anything to Richie.

Bethel is much like he had pictured it from Kate's stories while they were on the run in Mexico. Very small, very well-to-do, very prim and proper, very fucking boring. He sticks out like a sore thumb as he stands at the doorstep of Scott and Kate's family home.

Scott looks relieved to see him when he opens the door, and Seth takes a private moment to think about the irony of that statement.

"She came home about a month ago, and she was fine at first, but now…" the teenage culebra shakes his head, worry shining in his eyes. "I don't know what happened, but it's almost like she's broken, like maybe she's trying to—to die or something. She doesn't talk. She doesn't eat. She barely leaves her bed, let alone her room."

It's pretty much what Scott had told him over the phone. The same words Seth had been mulling over on his trip here. He doesn't want to give away to the kid how much he's worried about her, but from the way the kid is looking at him now, Seth is pretty sure his cover is blown anyway.

Scott guides him down a hall filled with picture frames of a life Seth knows secondhand from stories told in the Mexican desert. Taking a moment to glance at one of Kate, he notices the perfect posture and the practiced smile. There's an effort to these pictures, just begging the audience not to look deeper than the surface.

Seth goes into her room alone and closes the door, leaving Scott in the hall. He's never been all that polite.

The first thing he sees is Kate laying curled up under blankets on the bed, facing the window. She looks a mess, but he doesn't tell her that. He also doesn't tell her how very 'princess-y' her room is, even though the remark is on the tip of his tongue.

Instead, he kicks off his shoes and lies down on the bed, positioning himself opposite her, his head by her feet.

"Scott, I don't want company," she mutters without even turning.

"Not Scott," he says with his voice as light as he can make it. He's determined not to let her realize just how concerned he is by her behavior. "Been looking for you, ya know? Thought I should check in on things."

He must have startled her—that was what he was going for, after all—for she freezes for a second before quickly turning around to face him. He just tilts his head at her, as if to say 'the ball is in your court'.

Kate is quiet for the longest time, and Seth watches the emotions dance across her eyes, but then, before he can stop it, she shuts down. Her eyes grow cold and her face loses all trace of emotion. "Go away, Seth," she says slowly and with no emotion before turning back to the window.

Time passes, and neither moves or says anything.

He knows she's still awake—he'd stayed up late some of the nights they were in Mexico watching her sleep in the other bed, and he can tell she's faking now—so he knows she's waiting for something.

He's just gotta wait her out. That's something he's fucking good at.

Seth ignores her. He tells himself that if she's ignoring him, he can just ignore her right back. Except he isn't actually ignoring her. He's thinking back to their time in Mexico, then he's remembering how he felt when he thought she was dead, and how much worse it was when he learned that Amaru had stolen her body. He remembers the last time he saw her, when they parted ways after they saved her—and the world, of course.

She breaks the silence as they watch the sun go down. "I—Amaru made me—I mean…" she struggles to get the words out. "I killed people, Seth," she finally whispers, on the verge of tears.

Seth fights the urge to reach out and hold her. Somehow, he knows now isn't the time. She's not ready for that yet. To her confession, he replies. "So have I." After a pause, he adds, "So have Richie, and Kisa, and even your brother. Hell, so has the good Ranger Gonzalez."

"That's different."

Seth shakes his head, even though she obviously can't see him. "Not really. But even if it is, I know that isn't what's really keeping you in this bed."

Darkness settles around them as they lapse back into silence. Seth has to fight the urge to think about how goddamn domestic this feels—if the context were removed, anyway.

When all light in the room seems to be extinguished, Kate rolls over and faces him. He can barely make out her face, but he feels such relief at even being able to see the _shadow_ of her face. "I don't know how to go back to this," she admits regretfully, after settling back down, and then after a moment of contemplation she snorts ruefully. "I don't know how to be Kate Fuller, _the preacher's daughter_, anymore, not after everything that's happened—everything no one even _knows_ happened."

"So don't be her anymore," he responds. In the dark, he can see her eyes widen. He continues. "Come with me. Just be 'Kate' for awhile until you figure it all out. Me and Richie will be there, you know, so you're not alone."'

After a long moment of deliberation, Kate nods slowly as she wipes away tears.

Not long after, as they continue to lie on the bed in silence, Kate lets out a short laugh. "I guess this time _I'm_ the one who needs the company."


End file.
